“...Something feels off. And it stinks too.”
“She's using a dead body, what would be surprising about a corpse stinking...?”
“No, Selena's right. The corpse can't be that rotten already, but it smells like a fucking cemetery. Something really is off.”
I stay focused, but I can't ignore their conversation either. I look down and try to search for clues on the ground. I feel her magic, powerful and overwhelming, all around us, slightly beneath the ground, in the soil... Did she use Ravena's powers again? I look up, and stare at Luna, trying to understand her.
"...You were right," she finally says. "I can't expect witches to stop falling for wolves, for our mates."
"Great," I sigh, wondering if it really could be that easy. "Will you put an end to the curse now, then?"
"No. I won't have to if I get rid of all the witches first."
...Say what? Her eyes go down on Selena and Nora, and both of them growl, but before I can react, Luna's expression suddenly goes dark, and the ground beneath them moves. Damian is the first to react. The large black wolf jumps in to push his mate out of the way. On the other side, Selena felt it coming at the last second, and jumped back to avoid the wood spike that suddenly came out from the ground.
"You shouldn't have made them witches," says Luna. "Now I will have to kill them too."
"It's temporary, and it's to stop you," I retort.
"...You know, I never really liked fighting," she sighs. "Despite my Alpha blood, I'd always leave the fights to the males in our packs... I am much more fit to protect."
What is she getting at? She is so calm and ironically, it's making me nervous as hell. The others too, I can sense they are ready for her next attack, the next threat. Luna steps forward, and our group steps back as one. She chuckles.
"You think you have found a new pack... You think they can replace the family you lost," she whispers.
"They are not replacing anyone," I retort before she can spread any doubt.
However, Luna is not looking at me. Her eyes go to all my companions, one after the other, and a wry smile appears on her lips. The ground beneath our feet starts shaking again, and we all are on guard, ready for the next attack. What is it going to be this time? More golems?
"You think you're the good people. You think the Lunas are all powerful, and you have all the answers, but... what happens when the past comes back to haunt you?"
“I have nothing to be afraid of,” growls Selena.
"Really?" suddenly says Luna, turning her head to the golden-eyed wolf.
Fuck, she can hear our mind-links? We all exchange looks, but no one dares to use it anymore. If she can read our mind-link, this is one hell of an advantage lost to her... The ground gets louder beneath us, and I'm really starting to freak out about what the hell she'll throw at us next. A hill suddenly seems to climb up in front of Nora, and she backs away, Damian growling too right next to her.
The ground starts to form a new shape, just as it did when it was about to free the golem, but, instead of a humanoid shape, this time it's... a wolf. Oh Moon Goddess, and the smell is just horrible. The soil retires slowly, and I'm not sure what I'm looking at. It looks like a wolf, but... this thing is dead. It's standing on all fours, and growling loudly, but based on the exposed skull, the opened ribs, and that flesh almost gushing out, that thing is definitely, a hundred percent, supposed to be dead. Oh, I feel like throwing up. Even Ben's horror movies don't get that disgusting.
The one thing I'm worried about most, though, is Nora's reaction. She's stopped growling, and instead, she's slowly backing away, looking... in complete shock. Damian immediately takes a protective stance in front of her, growling furiously at that thing for a reason I don't understand.
“It can't be... It's... Vince…” mutters Nora.
"Can someone update me?" I growl.
“That guy abused Nora years ago. But he's also been dead for years!”
I turn to Luna, who has a smile on, visibly satisfied with that terrible joke of hers.
"See? Power over life and death," she says.
“You damn bitch,” growls Selena. “If you can hear me, note that I'm going to rip your–”
"Rip my heart out?" finishes Luna, raising an eyebrow. "Like you did with your ex?"
Another dead wolf suddenly emerges from the ground, at least in a better state than the previous one, except for that very visible bullet hole in its head... Selena immediately starts growling at that thing instead, joined by her mate.
“Diego…”
